Curling-machine.



R. SUMNER.

GURLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 0012.21, 1913.

1,100,456, Patented June 16, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R. SUMNER.

GURLING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED 0OT.21, 1913.

1,100,456; Patented June 16, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

R. SUMNER.

OURLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 001.21, 1913.

1, 1 00,456. Patented June 16, 1914.

4 SHEBTSSHEET 3.

COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH C0.. WAsHlNuTbN, D. c.

Patented June 16, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEBT 4.

COLUMBIA PLAriounAI-n c0.. WASmNuroN, u. C.

'ren STATES ROBERT SUMNER, OF COWLEY PECHEY, ENGLAND.

CURLING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1914.

Application filed October 21, 1913. Serial No. 796,442.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT SUMNER,millmanager, residing at Cowley Pechey, Middlesex, England, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Curling-Machines; and Ido hereby declare the fol lowing to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will'enable others skilled in theart to which it apper tains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved machine for curling hair,horsehair, vegetable fibers, wool and the like material, the object ofthe machine being that the whole of the fiber or other material to betreated is delivered in a raw state at the one end, and is fed outtwisted, kinked and curled as a rope on to a bobbin at the other end,ready for'the baking or similar process for permanently securing thekink or double curl after the same has been imparted to the material bythe operation of the machine.

Now according to this invention a conveying belt and feeding rollers areso mounted that a continuous supply of material is fed to the peripheryof a carding engine, which carries the material around for approximately one half of its circumference. At this point the felt of fiber onthe carding engine is stripped by means of a rotating comb from which itis taken by a revolving brush, and delivered into a hopper convenientlyplaced relative to said'brush. Im-

mediately beneath the said hopper is disposed a revolving drum or boxcontaining,

journaled in its sides, three or morepairs of grooved pressing rollers,placed underneath each other, but mounted in opposite angulardirections. Beneath the last pair of rollers is a hollow twistingspindle, which may serve as a pivot for the revolving box. The materialis fed through the hopper on to the first pair of rollers from'whencethe now rough sliver passes between the succeeding rollers and throughthe twisting spindle, and in a twisted state, resulting from'thecombined actions of the rollers, the rotating box and twisting spindle,the sliver is curled upon a hollow rotating coned spindle through whichpasses a string or cord for the purpose of receiving the now twisted andcurled strands when leaving the hollow spindle. The said string or cordwhen relieving the spindle of its coils preserves same 111 the curledstate and delivers them in such state to a suitable bobbin upon whichthe coils are wound. When the bobbin is full, the machine is stopped,the cord is cut, and the two ends on the bobbin tied together, thebobbin is now removed, a fresh bobbin inserted, and the operationcontinued. To permanently retain the curl now produced in the fiber, thebobbin is dipped in water, and baked until all moisture is driven out.

The invention will now be described more particularly with reference tothe accompanying drawings in which I Figure l is a part sectional sideelevation ,of-the machine, Fig. 2 is a transverse View on line AB, Fig.1, and Fig. 3 is a view giving details of top driving gear.

In the drawings, 1 is the conveying belt conveying the material to thefeeding rollers 2, which deliver said material to the carding engine 8.Said engine being of the usual construction comprises a rotating drum 1provided with combing pins or cards 5, incased by a removable cover 6.In order the better to feed the engine the cover 6 is for a shortdistance on the inside provided with combing pins 7 said pins beingarranged in staggered fashion relative to the pins on the drum. Thematerial is carried around the engine for approximately one half of itscircumference, at which point it is stripped by means of the rotatingcomb 8, consisting of a drum 9 provided with hooked pins 10. Said pinsbeing adapted to enter between the pins on the carding drum therebyremoving the felt from the carding engine. As the felt is carried aroundby the comb it is brushed off same by means of the revolving brush 11,and delivered into the hopper 12 disposed beneath the said brush. Thecarding engine is preferably driven from a suitable shafting by means ofthe belt 13 and the pulley 14, mounted on the engine shaft 15. Saidshaft also carries the pulley 16 driving the brush 11 by means ofbelting 17 and pulley 18. The shaft 15 carries at its other end thebevel wheel 19 driving the bevel gears 20 by means of which are driventhe conveying belt 1, feeding rollers 2, and the comb 8 as shown in Fig.3. Shaft 15 further carries the pulley 21 driving the twisting device aswill be described later. It is obvious that these various drives may bealtered to suit diiferent circumstances, and the arrangement describedabove is given as a preferable method and by way of example only.

Beneath the hopper 12 is disposed a revolving drum or box 22, in whichare contained three pairs of rollers, 23, 24 and 25, said rollers beingplaced in parallel planes beneath each other, but having the center pairmounted in a right angular direction to the other pairs as shown inFigs. 1 and V 2. Said rollers are each provided with a groove as shownat 26, said groove serving the purpose of shaping the silver in passingbetween the rollers. A hollow twisting spindle 27 mounted in the plate28 (see Fig. 2) is disposed beneath the last pair of rollers in such amanner so as to serve as a pivot for the box 22 around which the saidbox may be rotated. The spindle 27 carries fast on same a bevel wheel 29driven by means of bevel wheel 30 fast on spindle 31 journaled inbearings 32 and 33. The said spindle 31 is driven from the pulley 21 onshaft 15 by means of the belt 34 and pulley 35, or by other suitablemeans. The bevel wheel 30 also drives the wheel 36 which is fast on thebox 22 thus rotating same. Inside the said box and secured upon thehollow twisting spindle 27 is the bevel wheel 37 which drives wheels 38and 39 by means of which, and by means of the chain gears 40 and 41 therollers, 23, 24 and 25 are driven as illustrated. Beneath the spindle 27is disposed a rotating coned spindle 42 mounted on or formed with ahollow sleeve 43 journaled in bearings 44 and 45, and adapted to bedriven from the pulley 46 on shaft 31. Over the spindle 42 rollers.

is mounted a fleeting knife 46 the action of which will be describedlater. The various mechanisms described above and comprised within thisinvention are preferably mounted within a suitable framing 47 whichserves as support for the necessary shaft bearings.

The operation of this invention is as follows ;-After the material haspassed through the carding engine 3, and the fiber felt stripped off thesaid engine and delivered to the hopper 12 as already described, thefelt is fed on to the first pair of rollers 23 where it is formed into arough sliver when passing over the groove formed in said The sliverbecomes more and more definite in shape as it passes the succeedingrollers and it is firmly twisted into a strand when passing from thelast pair of rollers to the twisting spindle 27 the twist beingaccomplished by means of the box 22 being rotated in one direction andthe spindle 27 being rotated in an opposite direction. The twistedstrand is now delivered from the spindle 27 to the coned spindle 42 uponwhich the strand is curled as the said spindle is rotated. When thespindle is full the 4 coils are continuously pushed oflf same by thefleeting knife 46, exerting a continuous pressure on the oncomingstrand. From the spindle 42 the coils travel on to the hollow sleeve 43,and from thence on to a cord or string 48 stored on a reel 49 andpassing through the said sleeve. The string 48 is led on to a bobbin 50and wound upon same together with the coiled material passing with thestring from the sleeve 43. The bobbin 50 is rotated by any suitablemeans but preferably from the bevel gear 30 as shown in Fig. 2. Therotation of the bobbin 50 may be controlled by means of coned pulleys insuch manner that the speed of rotation may be equalized as the windingsupon the bobbin increase. When the bobbin is full, the machine isstopped, the string 48 is cut and the end tied to the bobbin which isthen removed and a fresh one inserted and the operation continued. Therollers 23, 24 and 25 are removable and may be replaced by others havinggrooves of different sizes in order to enable the machine to formslivers of different thickness. To permanently retain the curl nowproduced in the twisted material the bobbin with the material is dippedin water, and baked in an oven at a suitable temperature until allmoisture is driven out, when the fiber has imparted to it an elasticityand springiness hitherto unattainable by other means. Such processhowever of rendering permanent the curl or twist imparted to the fiberis well known, and does not form any part of this invention but isdescribed in order that the process of the machine may be the betterunderstood.

I claim 1. In a curling machine, the combination, with a supportingframe provided with a hopper for the material to be curled, of a hollowtwisting spindle journaled in the frame and arranged vertically underthe hopper, a box journaled concentric with the twisting spindle,driving mechanism for revolving the twisting spindle and the box inopposite directions, a series of sliver-shaping rollers journaled in thesaid box and arranged in pairs, driving devices for revolving the pairsof rollers operatively connected with the twisting spindle, and arevoluble curling cone for the twisted sliver arranged below thetwisting spindle and provided with a fleeting device.

2. In a curling machine, the combination, with a supporting frameprovided with a hopper for the material to be curled, of a hollowtwisting spindle journaled in the frame and arranged vertically unde thehopper, a box journaled concentric with the twisting spindle, drivingmechanism for revolving the twisting spindle and the box in oppositedirections, a series of sliver-shaping rollers journaled in the said boxand arranged in pairs, driving devices for revolving the pairs ofrollers operatively connected winding mechanism for supporting and 10with the twisting spindle, a hollow shaft traversing the said cord.

journaled horizontally under the twisting In testimony whereof I haveafiixed my spindle, a curling cone for the twisted sliver signature inpresence of two witnesses.

secured on the said shaft, means for revolving the said shaft and cone,a fleeting device ROBERT SUMNER arranged adjacent to the curling cone, aWitnesses:

cord for receiving the curled sliver, said cord S. E. Boonie,

passing through the said hollow shaft, and TRACY LAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Comminsioner 0t ratentl, Washington, .D. G."

